Judith Rodriguez Menendez

Started: She began fencing at age eight at the Esgrima Vigo El Olivo club in Spain. She took up wheelchair fencing in 2020. (marca.com, 28 Mar 2024, 14 Nov 2022; atlantico.net, 01 Nov 2020; farodevigo.es, 04 Sep 2020) Reason: Her mother encouraged her to give fencing a try as a child. She was inspired to begin wheelchair fencing after she met Spanish Para athlete Desiree Vila Bargiela. "I saw that she was full of life, and she made jokes about her leg. For example, she told me that now she just has to change one sock. I was in the hospital bed and I thought that if she could handle it, well, why not me. Fencing helped me rebuild my life. I used to dream of fencing at the Olympic Games, and now it's the Paralympic Games." (marca.com, 28 Mar 2024, 14 Nov 2022) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (marca.com, 28 Mar 2024; Instagram profile, 07 Mar 2024)